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Thursday, 11 November 2010

Tales, Sagas, Stories we can glean from our vegetables ...

It’s that time of year for a bowl of hearty, thick, golden soup .. full of the harvest– the beans, the maize, the squash and the tomato .. rich steaming delicious mouth watering aromas reaching us from the simmering pot on the stove.

The indelible “Three Sisters” - the vegetables so revered by the native American Indians, that make up their three main native crops - which we now recognise in our culture, as well as in our agriculture as companion plants.

The strong maize stems provide a structure for the beans to climb up, while the beans give up nitrogen to the soil, and the squash spreads along the ground – the leaves acting as a ‘living mulch’, creating a micro-climate to retain moisture, while the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. These three sisters’ gardens often include the ‘fourth sister’ – the Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome), which attracts bees to help in pollination.

Illustration depicting both male and female flowers of maize

There is a ‘Three Sister Tomato’ plant, so named because it grows fruits of three different shapes: a Roma, a pleated and flattened globe type. Heirloom tomatoes of all cultivars are making a return to the seed farms and have wonderful evocative descriptive names: Brandywine, Chocolate Stripes, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Yellow Pear, Summer Cider, Violet Jasper ... we can see them, we can smell them and we can dream of those dishes enhanced with the heady mixture of fresh or baked tomato.

The stories that could be told through their names, while the sagas of how we came to use them today and how these heirlooms are being brought back to life through the legends of, and puzzles from the past.

We know about ‘Pozole’ a ritually significant, traditional pre-Columbian Mexican corn soup or stew from the writings of Bernardino de Sahagun’s “General History of the Things of New Spain”, (c 1500), the “Florentine Codex”.

A bowl of traditional Pozole in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Bernardino de Sahagun (1499 – 1590), a Spanish Franciscan missionary to the Aztec (Nahua) people of Mexico, is regarded by scholars as being one of the “fathers of ethnography” and creator of the first encyclopaedia of the new world. His ‘Historia General’ is an unparalleled work in the local Nahuatil language, completed in 1569.

The ‘Historia’ consisted of twelve books, a grammar and a dictionary of Nahuatl: the Florentine Codex as it is more commonly known ... as you would imagine it is one of the richest surviving sources of information on Aztec life before the Spanish Conquest. The Codex found its way to Italy by 1588 and there it remains in the ‘Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana’ in Florence.

Page 51 of Book IX from the Florentine Codex. The text is in Nahuatl.

Having deviated a little to tell you about the accomplishments of Bernadino de Sahagun in his recording of the Aztec’s history perhaps it’s time to get back to the bean, corn, squash and tomato heirlooms that we have today, or are being ‘re-established’.

Squash, in all its glory is a vegetable of middle America, Mesoamerica, first cultivated some 8,000 – 10,000 years ago – coming in all shapes and sizes, mature or immature fruits. Most parts of the plant can be used – the seeds as are, or being ground into a paste, ‘nut’ butter, oil or even a fine flour; the shoots, leaves and tendrils can be eaten as greens, while the blossoms, long used by the native Americans, are now to befound in the kitchens of today.

Gourds ... the name given to the hollow, dried shell of a type of pumpkin squash normally have a more utilitarian use than for food – following on the tradition of our ancestors. However gourds were one of the earliest plant species domesticated by humans and were originally used by people as containers or vessels, even before the advent of clay or stone pottery, sometimes being referred to as “nature’s pottery”.

An interesting point re pollination – day-blooming gourds are pollinated in the same way as squash requiring bees, while night blooming gourds are pollinated by moths – which are normally present unless drawn off by night lights in the area.

Beans, beans and more beans – there are over 4,000 cultivars of beans grown in the States – with the common green (vine) bean being cultivated in the Americas for at least six thousand years. Most of the fresh beans that we eat today were brought across to Europe after Columbus sailed the Ocean waves.

Broad beans reached us via another ancient route – they were gathered from the wild in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills, grown in Thailand since the early 7th millennium BC (predating ceramics); deposited with the dead in Ancient Egypt, but not until the 2nd millennium BC did cultivated, large seeded broad beans appear in the Aegean, Iberian and southern European regions. A passing mention of beans and chickpeas cast on the threshing floor appears in the Iliad (late 8th C).

The Tepary Bean

The cultivar ‘Tepary’ bean was known to the pre-Columbian native peoples, as it is especially valuable for its drought-resistant properties and can be grown in desert and semi-desert conditions. It has recently been introduced to African agriculture, in the countries with low annual rainfall.

And last but not least we return to that Mexican staple, the corn cob, lauded by the pre-Columbian peoples, reflected in their culture – as shown here in the Larco Museum, Lima, Peru: one of the world’s largest collections of pre-Columbian art.

Gold Maize: Moche Culture 300 AD,held in Larco Museum

The “Legend of the Bloody Butcher Corn” gives us the story of this blood red cob from its humble beginnings two hundred years ago, to the realisation of its value in today’s age. The full story can be read via the link ... but this seed tells a family story: a tale of a girl and her wolf dog.

Betsey, half white and half Pottawatomie Indian, was captured by the Native Indians around the 1800s, and while she waited to escape – she befriended her captors and learnt from them. On escaping she brought with her the bloody butcher seed and the beginnings of its recent history: the story is wonderful, featuring characters with the name of ‘Bandy Bill’, ‘Delilah Deal’ taking us to the roots of our earthy base as the Bloody Corn releases its family story.

Exotic varieties of maize are collected to add genetic diversity when selectively breeding new domestic strains.

These sisters of the vegetable world, these early domesticated plants, provide a wonderful creative field for us to draw on – characters, names, realisation of our roots – both from the earth and our ancestral travels – and perhaps as importantly today as yesterday ... sustain us at all times of the year .. with their beauty, their taste and tales from the past.

A weekend lunch or supper dish full of nourishing heirloom earthy vegetables, with a fresh loaf or two of crusty bread, some freshly churned butter, a selection of cheeses with a bowl of fruit to finish – a glass of wine, a golden cider or a tankard of beer ... it must be the time to make a pot- au-feu – a flavoursome satisfying broth to warm the soul and to share with family and friends.

Dear Mr Postman – we are in a quiet period .. and I just spend time quietly with my mother ... she knows I’m with her. It's a blustery wet old day!

72 comments:

Wow! My mouth was a'ready waterin' at your first sentence. Then, you started tellin' 'bout alla' the ways the different plants contribute to each other an' to our bodies an' now, I can hardly wait for a good, hearty bowl of soup with alla' fixin's. Yuuummmm!

Hi Hillary – I love soup – anytime of year!! And yet I am afraid to make it myself… and Americans don’t seem to be found a places that are just about soups!! This is wonderful and warms from the inside out – the post that is – perfect for a rainy day. I discovered (via internet) Farro yesterday. Now, I am looking forward to trying it. It is used in soups!

Love receiving all this delicious information. YOu are a gem Hilary. It is a wonderful concoction ot mix sweet potato, sqash, turnip, pumpkin and/or other veggies. The possibilities are endless. Love and blessings to you. The color orange brings beautiful energy 2 all everywhere.

Hi Liara .. I've been wanting to write about the 'Bloody Butcher Corn' family story .. as it was just so evocative and seemed to bring the times from our ancestors, as well as remind us of the special knowledge that the Indians (and other indigenous peoples) have & the soup being known as "Three Sisters Soup" .. just tied the info together ..

Let alone the historical element - which I loved finding out about - I'd have never known the Florentine Codex actually was "born" in Mexico!!

Also the veggies go so well together - all sorts! The oranges of the gourds, tomatoes, squashes .. go so well with the leafing colours of Autumn.

Hi Hilary - Thank you for all this yummy information. Pete has been busy putting up his pumpkin pies, and it seems everywhere I go with friends we must try the fine purees of squash and root vegetables. Soup or side dish, it doesn't matter; I have a hankerin' for it! On Thursday, after a lovely time at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, we stopped for lunch and it was puree of butternut squash, flavord with nutmeg and other spices, so thick even though they called it soup I begged to differ. Can't believe I wouldn't stand for this type of thing as a child; now it is comfort food. Thanks so much for this wonderful info.

Hi Betsy .. good to see you & wasn't it funny that you put up your wonderful post about Tecumseh - the Courageous Warrior and Statesman .. the corn story mentions Jamestown and this blood red corn.

Pete and his food .. it's wonderful to read about .. you're a lucky woman having him tuck pumpkin pies away! I agree I love the squashes and root veg all pureed down .. I used to make it a lot when I helped out with the cooking at my mother's care home .. delicious .. platefuls of puree.

It certainly is comfort food at this time of year - warming our cockles ... and so glad to hear you enjoyed your day out .. have a good weekend .. Hilary

Hilary, I so enjoyed your post. The history was informative, interesting, and rich with detail. I did not realize Pozole was a ritually-important pre-Columbian soup. Now I'm inspired to try creating some of my own. :)

When considering planting the three sisters, I have recently learned, one probably wouldn't want to plant a modern hybrid corn seed. These plants are too greedy for water and fertilizer. It would be better to choose heirloom "dent" corn seed and bean seed specifically labeled as "cornfield beans."

Hi Hilary -- given how delectable that soup looks, it's no surprise to me at all that the ancient Mesoamericans worshipped corn. Personally, if I were to idolize a vegetable, I'd probably make golden eggplants.

Hi Meredith .. thank you and delighted to hear you enjoyed the historical outlines. Also fantastic that you know about the soup .. let me know how you go with its recreation!! Sounds delicious.

Thanks for the tip - I was given the name of the corn from a friend who grows his own veg and knows a great deal about the value of good quality seed etc. buying heirloom seed, or keeping his own.

Essential to know that we shouldn't grow hybrid corn .. because of their 'demand' for extra water and fertiliser .. and the other thing I learnt this morning is that some plant seed now-a-days can't be saved for next year .. you have to buy more.

So thanks for your salient comment in this day & age - somethings we need to be aware of ..

Lovely seeing you here .. and so pleased you enjoyed yourself in your read ... have a good Sunday - Hilary

I was interested to hear you mention heirloom varieties of tomato as my friend has an organic allotment and she grows heirloom varities of everything. It's nice to see then coming back, they have such great flavour. She just wrote a book about the crops you can grow for harvest in the 'hungry gap' (www.growyourownbooks.co.uk).

Having just returned from America I also loved to see the photos of squash and corn as there were lots of varieties there, very colourful, and really nicely presented. I took photos of them too!

Hope you and your mum are ok. My mum is doing really well, a different person on my return, all down to the carer she was with while I was away! She was a star!

Enjoyed your post as always. Even though I'm drinking my first cup of coffee of the day I already know what I'm preparing for supper - vegetable soup. We are going into our winter here and soup will hit the spot since it's also suppose to rain for the next two days. Have a great week.

Hi Mandy .. ah - you're back - I was wondering where you woz! Now I know .. how fantastic that your mother is way better .. we've turned 90 down here! & today she was talking about her 100th .. my comments can't be said!! But Mum was bright this pm .. so that was lovely having mother-daughter chat.

It is good to see the 'old' strains of good old fashioned crops coming back to life .. and glad to hear your friend grows them - must be delicious. Fantastic to have written a book about them .. I'll have to have a look - being without a garden at the moment is a stumbling block!

I'm sure you'll have lots of wonderful photos of your time - & I hope we get to see them in various posts on your blog? The colours are wonderful - as are the stories.

Thanks Mandy - good to have you back and see you at your place very soon .. cheers for now - Hilary

Hi Sibyl .. I'd have thought you'd have eaten lots of veggies!! But if this inspires you to add more to your plate or bowl of hearty soup .. excellent!!

I'd come across the tie in with corn, beans and squash - but finding out more was so interesting - couldn't believe it. I think I sort of understand where MesoAmerica was situated .. now too - large area.

Lovely seeing and glad you enjoyed the post - have a good week .. Hilary

Hi Talon .. thanks so much .. - a good pot of soup can go a long way and cover many bases .. as you say, and open many doors to conversation and family love.

Nothing like a meal of soup .. especially as we can make it in advance .. and then supper/dinner is taken care of! Enjoy your meal tonight!

Mum is fine - we had a good chat yesterday .. she is so appreciative, but sleeps loads - yet is still completely with it - amazing, really. I'm blessed. Many thanks Talon - lovely seeing you over here - your pictures are superb .. I admire from afar sometimes - but I do see them!! Enjoy the week .. Hilary

Dearest Hilary, This is remarkable. I LOVE it because I used to do all my own cooking, everything from scratch, from the garden to the table all on my own. I've cooked more soups and bread in more parts of the world that I can remember. I've cooked on wood stoves of all kinds, cook in rock fire pits, earth covered pits, my own improvised solar cooker, and even on the hot engine of a truck.

I hunger to return to this lifestyle at some point. I miss living with and from the land. This article is so inspiring for me, and I LOVE the photos as well.

Also, as always, I am moved to tears by your "Dear Mr. Postman" letters. They tug at my heart and make me love you even more and more. You are so precious, generous and deep of heart. I love you and am truly blessed and humbled by your goodness. It is so huge. Robin

Dearest Robin .. I cannot believe the love you exude and your appreciation for my mother - you are the mother lode for many of us! I often think of you and many others who've been so kind and supportive to me .. and let me tell you - Mum loves having her hugs from around the world .. it amazes her!!

We had a lovely chat yesterday in one of her brighter moments - when she very much expressed her appreciation for my care of her, and my love for her .. it was very touching - makes the whole thing so worth while .. I am lucky that I have been able to have this contact, connection and compassion with my mother during these days, months and years .. it shows us what life is about ..

and I appreciate being able to share these thoughts and how we're doing via Mr Postman - he's a good deliverer!

When I wrote this post - I wondered if you'd comment .. as it so relates to you .. and I couldn't stop thinking .. this is Robin from days gone by - millennia ago?!

And today I can imagine you out gathering and garnering all that information from these wonderful indigenous people of ours.

But for now you have more important things to do - promote your book and long may it be a success .. it's arrived here - I need to put my reading glasses on for the books I have to read!?!

Many thanks Robin .. for this staggering comment - you cannot believe how much I appreciate it today .. it's so good to be supported here .. with love and hugs to you .. Hilary

Dearest Hilary, I am in tears reading your comment. My God, you have a profoundly beautiful and generous heart. I am more humbled around you than anyone I know.

I am honored that you shared with me the day with your mom, and the things she said. Oh my word, that is so cherished. And I know that this time is not easy on you at all, and yet you are SO amazing because you not only move through it with incredible grace, but you embrace all there is to treasure in it and grow from it. You are SO wise.

Know that my heart is with you, and you are a very special soul. So beautiful. Much love and warm hugs to you and your mom. There really are those who think of you both.

Dearest Robin .. your words ring around me .. I was speaking of you today - as we made my video .. which amused and amazed the nurses, caring staff and residents at the Home - Mum was more interested in Susie playing the Mandolin ..

I thought of you then & your guitar .. I have little music - other than of my soul - but Susie can play .. and I hope the video isn't too long .. a few seconds maybe.

I'd love to share more of my Mum and one day I will .. she still has amazing perspicacity -

Til anon .. we, the blogging community and wider world, are so lucky to have you amongst us - to offer love and compassion and guide us in our future.

Me too - I think of all my blogging friends and support they offer & am mighty grateful for it .. and my mother just loves to hear about it too!! Thank you thank you .. with love and many many thoughts .. Hilary

Hilary Darling...you have me all hungry and craving soup now :) I loved all the delicious details you put together here. Soups make amazing companions for wet cold days. ...yumm...I am running tot he kitchen right about NOW....Much Love,Z~p.s. love to your beautiful mum

I have Brandywine Tomato puree on the stove right now for soup and sauce bases as we need and lots of baggies of cubed tomatoes in the freezer.

We live by squash here at our house and I make a great lentil stew (beans) inside of a pie pumpkin while it roasts in the oven.

Such good things (I personally can not eat corn anything, but that is another story - I certainly cook a lot of it here.)

Last night at book group Gloria made home made tortillas with her Mexican tomato soup - wow was it yummy. I am trying to pursue her to give me the recipe! and I am not very good at the making tortillas...

Thanks for sharing...Glad you had time with your mum, giver my bestWe had an earthquake yesterday and keep losing our power with all the wind and rain...Quite a week so far here

I love those large pumpkins filled with sweet or savoury .. we had quite a lot sweet fillings in the ones I ate in South Africa .. full of spices from the East Indies trading routes!

I do love corn .. so in that way I'm lucky .. just homemade food sounds wonderful .. tortillas and Mexican tomato soup - sounds very good .. ask Gloria for the recipe for your next Potluck book - then we'd get it?!

I see you mention the earthquake in other comments .. sounds a little worrying - but life goes on! We had floods down in the West Country - quite bad ones .. nasty time of year to lose a lot of stock, or have a major mess to clear up.

Mum sleeps but she enjoyed some Mandolin playing on Tuesday - so that was very good .. when she comes too she's fine .. but I go with the flow! Thanks for your thoughts ..

Lovely seeing you here Patricia .. have a good week & hope the outage etc doesn't affect you any more. Thinking of you - Hilary

Hi JD .. you picked it .. the first encyclopaedia ..I couldn't leave it out could I?!

But how right you are about information and how lucky we are - that still more is being found .. which is accessible at our fingertips - we're so lucky. My next post or two absolutely proves that point - we have access to the information, we find hidden gems and then that gets publicised .. and we again as members of the public get to see it too.

It is as you say .. how we use the knowledge base that is accessible through the web - thank goodness for Tim Berners-Lee and to Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia fame .. let alone the techies that gave us the hardware to use it .. the Gates, Jobs et al ..- this is your side of life!?!

Hi Patricia .. we're on the way to cold (cold!) .. but for the moment it's tolerable - comes of being an island nation. Soups are wonderful aren't they for a good fill-up with the companionship of family and friends .. delighted to hear you enjoyed it.

This post really brought me back in time to when I used to teach 5th-graders about Native Americans. It's amazing how many items didn't exist in Europe and America before the exchange. Imagine Italians without tomatoes?

People will often encourage the development of a green thumb and talking to plants. Nice you remind people to allow the voices of veggies to ring true and awaken consciousness on new levels. Everything and everyone has a voice.

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About Me

A lover of life – who after London, spent time in South Africa; an administrator, sports lover, who enjoys cooking and entertaining ... who through her mother’s illness found a new passion – writing, in particular blogging; which provides an opportunity for future exploration, by the daughter, who has (in her 3rd age years) found a love of historical education. Curiosity didn’t kill this cat – interaction is the key! Now moved to Vancouver Island, Canada for 'a while' - not forever ...